National polls: AL, BNP likely to unveil candidates list today

Ruling Awami League and BNP are expected to unveil their list of candidates for the upcoming 11th National Election on Friday.

AL is expected to declare names for around 250 constituencies whereas BNP will do so for 200, leaving out seats for their alliance partners.

As of now, ruling Awami League has 278 candidates in 264 constituencies and will finalize a list of candidates for 250 out of the 300 constituencies and leave the rest for its partners, including the Jatiya Party.

The 14-party alliance member parties might get 13-14 seats, said AL Presidium Member Mohammed Nasim on Thursday.

On the other hand, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said, “Negotiations with alliance partners have been completed. The party nominees will get final letters from tomorrow.”

BNP, for now, might opt to reveal nominees for 200 constituencies as it wants to pick some contenders after the disposal of appeals filed with the Election Commission by many of its leaders.

The EC will complete disposal of appeals tomorrow, a day before the expiry of the deadline for withdrawal of candidature.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said, “We will try to unveil a partial list of the candidates on Friday.”

The BNP may announce the list of final candidates in 200 seats as it has left around 50 seats for its partners in two alliances — the 20-party combine and the Jatiya Oikyafront.

Till date, the BNP has given out nomination of 20 constituencies to Jamaat-e-Islami, the highest number of seats obtained by any partner of the alliances.

In the Oikyafront, the BNP gave seven seats to the Gonoforum, two to Nagorik Oikya, four to Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rab) and one to Krishak Sramik Janata League.

Some senior BNP leaders held a series of meetings with the leaders of 20-party alliance and Jatiya Oikyafront to reach a consensus over seat sharing.